US 11,443,339 B2 · System and method for toy adoption and marketing

Abstract

A method that provides a virtual presentation includes receiving a user ID on a computer, creating a user account, registering first and second real-world products on the computer responsive to receiving first and second registration codes, and linking the first and second products with the user account. Responsive to the registering, first and second virtual representations of the respective real-world products are simultaneously displayed together in a virtual room. A control interface allows a user provided access via the user ID to select one of the first and second virtual representations for control. Subsequent access to said user account provides access to both first and second virtual representations without subsequent re-entry of either the first or second registration code.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A toy comprising:

a toy body having an appearance formed in a shape resembling an animate object;
an electronic storage device coupled to said toy body, said electronic storage device storing registration data that is useable for automatically registering said toy on a computer server that is separate from said toy;
and
a communication part coupled to obtain data that is stored in said storage device, and operative to communicate said data over a communication network to communicate with the Internet when coupled to the communication network;
said data including registration data that is operative for connecting over the communication network and automatically registering said toy on the computer server,
where registering said toy on the computer server causes a virtual representation of said toy body to appear on a virtual world being hosted on said computer server.

3 more elements

A method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a user, a product including a body formed with a shape and appearance representing an animate object and an electronic storage device for storing registration data that is effective for registering the product on a server system;
connecting, by the user, the electronic storage device to a user computer for automatically communicating the registration data to the user computer for registering the product on the server system, said registering utilizing the user computer in communication with the server system over the Internet, wherein said registration data on the storage device is adapted for supporting said registering;
in response to said connecting, receiving specialized data from the server system on the user computer, the specialized data for generating a virtual character in a virtual world on the user computer;
and
viewing an animated version of the virtual character in specialized activities in the virtual world on the user computer, said viewing utilizing data received from the server system on the user computer for supporting the specialized activities in the virtual world, wherein participation in the specialized activities with the virtual character is not permitted by a computer operation without prior completion of said registering using the storage device.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

16/871,304Filed 11 May 2020 · continuation

Priority

31 Dec 2003

Published

US 2020/0372534 A126 Nov 2020

Granted

13 Sep 2022

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G06Q 30/0222
Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates: during e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
A63F 9/24
Games not otherwise provided for: games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for
A63F 13/00
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or
A63H 3/36
Dolls: details; Accessories

Family

Application60/533,634Us provisional application · filed 31 Dec 2003

Application60/533,591Us provisional application · filed 31 Dec 2003

Application11/027,271Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2004

Application12/265,120Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Nov 2008

US 7,534,157 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 May 2009

Application13/052,600Parent of this division · filed 21 Mar 2011

US 7,967,657 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Jun 2011

Application13/718,396Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Dec 2012

Application13/781,984Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Mar 2013

US 8,460,052 B2Parent of this division · filed 11 Jun 2013

US 8,808,053 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Aug 2014

Application14/504,999Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Oct 2014

US 8,900,030 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Dec 2014

Application15/911,773Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Mar 2018

US 9,947,023 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Apr 2018

US 2020/0372534 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Nov 2020

US 10,657,551 B2Parent of this continuation

Application13/718,396Parent of this division

Application13/052,600Parent of this continuation

US 2005/0192864 A1Published application

US 2009/0063282 A1Published application

US 2011/0190047 A1Published application

US 2013/0109479 A1Published application

US 2013/0178280 A1Published application

US 2015/0024837 A1Published application

US 2018/0197193 A1Published application

US 11,443,339 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

System and method for toy adoption and marketing

Life of this patent

System and method for toy adoption and marketing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19